CHU Sainte-Justine announces the creation of Canada's first Intellectual Disability Research Chair

The CHU Sainte-Justine is proud to announce the creation of the Jonathan Bouchard Intellectual Disability Research Chair, as the result of an outstanding demonstration of support from the Sandra and Alain Bouchard Foundation This $3-million donation represents the largest individual philanthropic gift ever directed toward intellectual disability research in Canada and the first initiative of its kind in the country.

Armed with more in-depth knowledge of the genetic basis of intellectual disability, and fuelled by the staggering progress being made on the biology front, researchers will be significantly better poised to develop new treatment strategies in the coming years. There has never been a better time to push for these major breakthroughs and change the future for children and their families. This significant philanthropic gift will allow us to do so. Considering that genetic factors play a determining role in most intellectual disabilities, genome sequencing, now available atSainte-Justine, will make it possible to analyze the entire genome of children with these conditions and identify the genes responsible for them. The ability to step up the pace of this research and overcome these diagnostic challenges represents a major step forward in improving overall quality of care and development of each child's potential.